The term “protective radiator shroud”, used in the present application, comprises radiator grills that are arranged on the front side of a motor vehicle, preferably in front of a radiator. A protective radiator shroud can be in particular formed as a protective radiator grid which is provided with horizontal and/or vertical ribs. A protective radiator grid can be also provided with any arrangement of through-openings, by means of which for example a honeycomb structure is formed.
A protective radiator grid for a motor vehicle comprises as a rule a plurality of air inlets and it is arranged in a front region of a motor vehicle. The protective radiator shroud usually comprises at least one air-guiding element, which is arranged parallel or orthogonally to the transverse direction of the motor vehicle in order to guide an air stream in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle from the front region of the motor vehicle to a radiator located behind the radiator grid.
Usually, the protective radiator grid comprises at least a partially flat receiving region for the license plate holder that is used for holding a license plate of the motor vehicle, wherein the license plate holder can be attached with a fastening means to the protective radiator grid.
In the case of a frontal collision of the motor vehicle, for example with a pedestrian, an impact occurs as a rule in the area of the protective radiator grid. For this reason, the protective radiator grid is of particular importance with respect to protection of pedestrians. That is why its construction, geometry, material and its composition are selected in such a way so that a collision with a pedestrian would cause a reduced risk of injury to the pedestrian.
The document KR 20070034356 A describes a license plate holder provided with an impact-absorbing element. The impact-absorbing element is arranged in such a way that a deformation of a license plate held by a license plate holder is prevented.
The objective of the invention is therefore to specify an improved protective radiator shroud which makes it possible to minimize the effects of a collision of the motor vehicle with a pedestrian.
In order to achieve this objective with a protective radiator shroud of the type described in the introduction according to the invention, a plate-shaped deformable energy absorber is arranged between the receiving region of the protective radiator shroud and the license plate holder.
The protective radiator shroud according to the invention can be arranged on a motor vehicle for example in the front region and thus in a zone of the motor vehicle protecting pedestrians, so that in addition to the plate-shaped deformable energy absorber, it is provided also with a passive safety element. Behind the protective radiator shroud can be arranged for example impact absorbers, which can fully cushion in a resilient manner an impact at a low speed. With the protective radiator shroud according to the invention, the forces that are caused by an impact can be transmitted to the safety elements located in the back, such as for example to the entire plate-shaped energy absorber of the shock absorber.
The plate-shaped energy absorber can be deformed in case of an impact of the motor vehicle by a force acting on the motor vehicle. As a result, a cavity created between the license plate holder that is placed on the protective radiator shroud and the protective radiator shroud can be used to compensate at least partially for the force acting as a result of an impact. Therefore, in addition to preventing premature collapsing of an unstable license plate holder, the vehicle is protected against a fixed object, for example during the operation when the motor vehicle is being parked or when it is exiting a parking space at a low speed.
The energy absorber can be held by a holding device at the rear side of the license plate holder. The holding device can be for example realized by means of at least one hook and/or at least one latching connection. The latching connection can be in this case designed in such a way that it can be released as required and so that the energy absorber is exchangeable. The latching connection can consist of two parts, wherein one part can be provided with a spherical head and another part can be provided with a spherical socket, so that a snap-in connection is created, which can be engaged by a movement under pressure of the spherical head into the spherical socket. The latching connection can be released again with a force acting opposite the latching movement.
According to the invention, the receiving area of the protective radiator shroud, of the energy absorber and of the license carrier can be provided with openings for fastening means. The openings can be provided for example with the same diameter and they can be arranged in such a way that an inserted fastening means penetrates at the same time through the license holder, as well as through the energy absorber and the protective radiator shroud. The license plate holder, the energy absorber and the protective radiator shroud can be therefore respectively provided with an opening and they can be connected to each other with a fastening means. According to the invention, several openings and fastening means can be provided as an alternative on the license plate holder, on the energy absorber and on the protective radiator shroud in order to connect the three elements to each other.
For example, the energy absorber can be fastened to the protective radiator shroud with at least one fastening means. The license plate holder can be fastened with at least one additional fastening means to the energy absorber.
According to the invention it can be provided that the energy absorber is fastened with at least one fastening means to the protective radiator shroud as in the case of the previous example. On the other hand, the license plate holder can be fastened with at least one fastening means also to the protective radiator shroud. For a fastening means can be used within the context of the present invention a screw or a threaded bolt in conjunction with a nut. As an alternative, the fastening means can be designed as a latching connection.
The license plate holder arranged on the protective radiator shroud can protrude beyond the edge of the energy absorber, which is arranged so that it is covered between the protective radiator shroud and the license plate holder, and the energy absorber can be arranged on the protective radiator shroud. Due to the fact that the license plate holder is protruding beyond the edge of the energy absorber, the energy absorber can be framed by the license holder in such a way that the energy absorber will be arranged so that it will not be visible between the license plate holder and the protective radiator shroud.
According to the invention it can be provided that the edge of the license plate holder protrudes along the entire extent of the energy absorber. However, according to the invention it is also possible that the edge of the license holder does not protrude over the edge of the energy absorber in all the locations. For example, the edge of the license plate holder can protrude at the upper edge and at both lateral edge beyond the edge of the energy absorber.
The energy absorber can consist of a polypropylene foam. Polypropylene foam (EPP) is a mainly closed-cell foam substance (EPP), wherein polypropylene foams having different hardness and/or density can be used in accordance with the invention.
The protective radiator shroud can be designed in particular as a protective cooling grid and it can be provided with at least one horizontal rib, wherein the energy absorber can be deployed opposite the horizontal rib. The protective cooling grid can be also provided for example with a plurality of ribs and/or vertical ribs. The thickness of the energy absorber can be selected in such a way that the energy absorber has a determined thickness even in the region located opposite the rib of the protective cooling grid. The elements of the protective cooling grid, which in contrast to the energy absorber and the license holder are relatively hard, are thus mutually separated from each other over the entire surface of the energy absorber, wherein the distance is between them is predetermined by the thickness of the energy absorber in the respective location.
The invention additionally also relates to a motor vehicle having at least one protective radiator shroud according to the invention. The protective radiator shroud can be installed according to the invention in the front region of the motor vehicle.